Research Scientist – Soil Restoration & Regenerative Agriculture

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Research Scientist to lead applied research and field implementation for soil restoration and regenerative crop production in our oil‑palm plantation in Senegal. The role focuses on rebuilding degraded sandy soils, improving soil biology, and developing practical, scalable solutions for sustainable agriculture in arid conditions.

Key responsibilities

• Design and execute research programs on soil microbiology, plant biology and agricultural microbiology, including greenhouse and field trials.
• Develop and validate field‑ready protocols for biochar, compost, vermicompost, mulching, cover crops and microbial inoculants.
• Establish data collection, reporting standards and SOPs, and translate scientific findings into practical guidelines for plantation teams.
• Lead, train and mentor multidisciplinary research and field teams to ensure effective experiment execution.

Required profile

• PhD (or Master’s with extensive field experience) in Plant Biology, Soil Science, Microbiology, Agronomy or related discipline.
• 8–12 years of agricultural research experience, preferably in tropical or oil‑palm systems, with proven success in soil restoration projects.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct field trials in challenging, sandy or arid environments.

Required skills

• Soil microbiology and formulation of microbial inoculants (PGPR, PSB, nitrogen‑fixing bacteria, cyanobacteria).
• Application and optimization of organic amendments such as biochar, compost, vermicompost and mulch.
• Design and management of cover‑crop and regenerative agriculture systems.
• Integrated pest management and biological crop protection.
• Field trial design, agronomic data analysis and technical report writing.